Normally I keep spoilers out of my reviews. With that in mind I’m giving fair warning that there are some scattered throughout this one, however, these should not greatly impact the outcome for anyone who decides to get this game.

As I usually do with any new game, I started by first casually playing around with the controls and learning the layout of the game. I then took a stroll outside the cell where my character had spawned – and died within ten minutes. However, this didn’t happen in any pansy “YOU DIED” screen shot, rather as I walked around a corner I was literally blown to bits by a turret gun. The next screen showed the following actions:

"Chicken Out"

Blackbay Asylum definitely lives up to the warnings it gives prior to playing. It’s raunchy, bloody, graphic, and one of the most entertaining games I’ve played in a long time. The only really irritating thing I had to deal with while playing was remembering to take some screenshots for this humble review. This game grabs you, slaps you into its twisted ride, and does not let you go.

The Story

Douglas is a psychopathic serial killer whose best friend is a Teddy Bear aptly named Teddy. Douglas wakes up to find himself in his cell with no one else alive in the area. Unlike any sane person, who most likely would be desperate to protect himself from whatever horror had caused this development, Douglas decides to go for a stroll to figure out who the new player is, and if they can exchange killing ideas. While doing so, his commentary on the macabre setting he wanders through makes the game even more bizarre and entertaining.

While Blackbay Asylum is reminiscent of a Silent Hill-style gore-fest, there are none of the misogynistic overtones. The graphic violence reminds one of a raunchy Rob Zombie flick. It’s there just because. No apologies and no rebuttals. While most games of this nature are dark and foreboding, Blackbay Asylum has an off-color humor to it which makes the player forget just how horrific the blood-spattered rooms really are.

If you decide to play Blackbay Asylum, all I can say is pay attention to everything as each item and thing you see may or may not be critical to your next move. Then get ready to take a stroll down madness lane holding hands with Teddy as you poke a few corpses and attempt to figure out what has happened to all the other inmates. Just don’t be too cavalier. Remember, death lurks around every corner unless you “chicken out.” On a final note, you are well advised to ensure that there are no impressionable young 'uns around while playing this game.

Issues

I have only very minor criticisms for the game, the most significant being how the checkpoints work. I found it mildly annoying that when you leave the game completely and come back, you can only go back to the beginning of any chapter completed. The checkpoints only work while logged in for that session. As I said, a minor criticism.

The other issue I would raise is that after level 6, the story line does tend to peter out with the game becoming more and more focused on straight puzzle-solving. While I can see how some might find this change tedious, it wasn’t really a problem for me. In fact, I actually found it entertaining.

Final Grade: A

(Note: MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY - R Rating)

+ Reminiscent of a Silent Hill style gore-fest, but with none of the misogynistic overtones.